Author: Megan Black

Today, our group spent our morning in the city of Dresden where we attended a worship service at the Church of Our Lady. Dresden is the third largest city in eastern Germany following the cities of Berlin and Leipzig. The city is considered to be the traditional capital of Saxony, and it has been to known to be the royal residence for Saxony’s Electors and Kings. Once known as the “Jewel Box”, Dresden was considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world because of its ornate baroque and rococo architecture. This, however, all changed during World War II.

On the night of February 13, 1945, the British/Americans launched an aerial bombing attack on Dresden killing thousand of civilians. Due to the large amount of refugees living in the area at the time, the exact death toll is uncertain. It is estimated that up to 25,000 had perished, but this number could be significantly larger. The city had experienced such extensive damage that, after the war, it was suggested that the city just be leveled and rebuilt. In the end, a compromise was made to rebuild the Saxon royal palace and its surrounding baroque buildings. The rest would be new construction.

One of the most impressive reconstructions was the church we were able to worship in. The Church of Our Lady, the Dresden Frauenkirche, was destroyed in the bombing and its remains were left untouched as a war memorial for over 50 years. After the reunification of Germany in 1994, it was decided to rebuild the fallen church. The pieces were carefully collected, and using modern technology, could be pieced together to its original state. The exterior was restored by 2004, and the interior was completed in 2005. You can see where the old bricks have been pieced back in with the new bricks. The final restoration is astounding. The amount of detail kept in the exterior is beautiful, and the inside is even more breathtaking. Baroque style is still used in the interior making for an altar that is one of the most detailed structures I’ve ever seen.

It was an honor to be able to attend church that had such a remarkable history. After the service finished, we only had a few more hours in the city to explore before our next stop. The few restored buildings in Dresden contain the same, impressive detail work like the church. The rest of the town contained the more modern Germany building style, but the town, as a whole, is full of character and beautiful architecture which survived the destruction of World War II.

After staying in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and now Germany, I’ve enjoyed seeing how aspects of Europe are universal no matter the country you stay in. I think one of the American employees at a company tour put it well when he described Europe as being more compact in many ways but often of higher quality. They have smaller cars, smaller streets, smaller buildings, but the quality of the cities we’ve stayed in continue to surprise me. Their streets are so clean. They restore old buildings instead of replacing them with large new ones giving the streets history and character. 

Some unique things I’ve noticed here include modes of transportation. People in the city rarely drive if they can help it. I feel like people here are more willing to bike, walk, or share public transportation. My classmates and I are still getting used to paying for water. It seems like such a given, but here, it comes at a rather high price. However, I have appreciated the European’s outlook on meals. I love watching how much they enjoy sitting for hours eating and talking with one another. No one was just sitting staring at their phone or dining and dashing. Meals are when they take time to build relationships and partake in great food.

It’s also been interesting joining church communities where we’ve been staying. We attended a service in Amsterdam and at the cathedral in Reims. I have been raised Baptist so the church services have been unique to me because they’re from different denominations. This does make it hard, however, for me to tell if differences are cultural or different in terms of denomination. One thing I have been continually reminded of by places like the Reims cathedral is their reverence for Christ. Their buildings point high toward our Lord, and they approach the altar with such respect. This is something I often forget with growing up in a more contemporary church. I can forget to not only love my Lord but to also fear Him. 

It’s crazy to think we’re only halfway through our journey. I can’t wait to continue engaging the culture here in the days to come. 

Yesterday, our group had the privilege of visiting Burke Porter Company while in Brugge. Burke Porter is a conglomeration of multiple companies which together produce innovative products in advanced manufacturing, advanced vehicle testing, and life science sectors. Today, their company has locations in 31 locations across 4 continents. The facility in Brugge is the location of the BEP Europe headquarters.

This was the first time I had heard of Burke Porter Company. I was amazed to see their wide range of products. With having past experience working in brake systems, I enjoyed most hearing about their vehicles testing technology. This is an entire market I often forget about. We not only need products as consumers; these products often need validation testing that require equipment of their own.

What I enjoyed most about this company tour was how interactive our visit was. The salesman which showed us around allowed us to get up and close with the technology. We got to walk on to their wheel alignment machine which can align wheels within minutes compared to what you experience at a standard car garage. He also handed us sensors to inspect. Most explanations about their products was often followed by a cool demonstration.

A difference between the European work culture and the American work culture that we discussed were salaries. The salesman talking to us was surprised to hear that there is about a $10k difference in starting pay for engineers. This ironic since life in Europe is more costly. I also appreciate the European’s ability and desire to learn multiple languages. With their ability to travel easily from country to country, knowing how to speak the native language of the people you sell to makes all the difference in business.

As a future employee, I appreciated the salesman’s emphasis on knowing everything about what you’re selling. He’s a business man by trade, but has the technological knowledge of those who created the products. He repeated to us to always be well prepared and never make empty promises to your customers. I learned a lot from this tour and look forward to what’s next.